If you are having a little trouble figuring out, which style you want to choose for the design of your new garden, if you like a little bit of this and a little bit of that consider this and hopefully it will guide you in the right direction: ‘If you are not certain which garden style is right for you, go look in your closets. Is there more Chanel than Gap, more suits than jeans? Are there colorfully patterned vests and shirts that you layer on top of each other, or solid-colored pieces with simple lines that you wear unadorned, save for a bold piece of jewelry or a scarf? Most people really do have defined personal styles, though they may think they don’t. It’s evident in the houses they choose and the way they furnish their rooms. Look at your own living quarters. Is the furniture precisely placed, or is there a looser, more scattered arrangement? Are the rooms filled cozily with clutter and collections, or are they spare and serene? Given the choice, would you buy a chrome and leather Barcelona chair, a mahogany Chippendale ladderback, a simple pine Shaker stool, or a brocade and fringed Victorian armchair? As a dream house, would you pick a Stickley Arts and Crafts bungalow, a modern box of glass and steel, a pink Art Deco Palm Beach villa, a rustic timber-beamed adobe hacienda? Your answers may help you understand what kind of garden you want. There’s not one “correct” approach, but you need to choose a direction to pursue in your garden. After you’ve had a look in your closet, look into your own heart. Your style will be an expression of what you find meaningful, what makes your heart sing.”
Passageways
I just read up on passageways in Bunny Williams’ book ‘On Garden Style’ and thought I would share it with you for a nice read: “Modern-day gardeners could take a few clues from nineteenth-century suitors on the subject of gates. A gentleman courting a lady viewed the garden gate as an opportunity for romance, for a bold statement, or at least for a bit of fun. I think they were on to something. Architectural elements at the garden entry provide opportunities to create interest. A whimsical red metal gate, a white lattice arbor with inset benches, a rustic pergola leading to a door - all these set the mood for the experience to come. There’s language to the garden entry, too. A high stockade gate set in a fence discourages visitors, while a low wooden gate welcomes them. A black iron gate between two brick columns is a formal threshold; remove the gate, and the entry remains dignified but a bit more relaxed. A tunnel formed by arching hoops pulls you in. The entryway introduces the garden, frames your first view of it, and creates a sense of anticipation. Gates, arbors, pergolas, and hoops are the doors and hallways of discovery - they move the feet and the eyes across the threshold or through a tunnel-like passage into the open space of the garden. And once inside, looking back at the entry offers its own pleasures when the entry’s form is sculptural or climbing vines add vertical color and interest.”
A well-designed landscape
When designing the garden of your home, consider how you would like to utilize the space. Do you enjoy entertaining in the garden, swimming, playing tennis, golf, bocce or any other type of recreational outdoor sport or do you prefer to relax in your newly created alfresco retreat with a book and a cup of tea?
You might want to achieve both aesthetical and practical goals, such as pretty flowers and a kitchen garden, small intimate spaces and open places for playing fields. Choosing the right type of plant material will attract (and in some cases, preferably deter) wildlife. The need for creating privacy can be achieved by adding beautiful screening materials; trees will provide shade. Water features add a soothing sound and at the same time mask traffic noise. Beauty and functionality can also be incorporated with structures that will increase your home’s value, such as patios and trellises, pool cabanas and outdoor kitchens, fireplaces and beautifully designed staircases.
Let’s not forget the importance of upkeep and how much time and effort you would like to put in. Lawns, sheared hedges and blousy English gardens in general require more maintenance than a rock/succulent garden. Adding mulch, for example, will help keep weeds out; a sprinkler system throughout eliminates the need for hand watering.
And remember: ‘There are no gardening mistakes, only experiences.’ Janet Kilburn Phillips
